Israel Says Netanyahu Secretly Visited UAE As Emiratis Publicly Deny Trip
Israel confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister's office said on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.[1] Later the same day the UAE's official WAM news agency denied any such visit and denied that it received an Israeli military delegation.[2]
Netanyahu's office called the trip a "historic breakthrough" in relations.[1] U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had said on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, that Israel sent Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the UAE and framed the deployment as a benefit of the Abraham Accords.[3] PBS reported that comments by Huckabee and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz suggested the disclosure was intentional and likely made with the blessing of both governments.[4]
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Huckabee's onstage remarks at the Tel Aviv Conference were the first public acknowledgment that Israel had deployed Iron Dome defenses to the Gulf.[3] Multiple outlets then reported Emirati sources received the systems and described the move as part of growing Israel-UAE defense cooperation over fears about Iran.[1] The disclosures and Netanyahu's reported visit unfolded amid the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, a shaky ceasefire and continued Iranian missile and drone fire that has unsettled the Gulf region.[2]
CBS and other outlets initially reported the secret meeting and Netanyahu's office publicly confirmed it, calling it a breakthrough.[1] Within hours, WAM's denial rejecting non-transparent contact and any Israeli military presence directly contradicted that account and shifted coverage.[2] That reversal, and PBS's reporting that U.S. diplomats' remarks appeared coordinated, has left open questions about whether the disclosures and the visit were planned, staged or miscommunicated.[4]
Show source details & analysis (7 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, speaking at the Tel Aviv Conference, said Israel sent Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the United Arab Emirates and framed the deployment as an example of the benefits of the Abraham Accords.
- Multiple reports say Israel has deployed Iron Dome air‑defense systems and personnel to the UAE and that Emirati sources have received the systems, a move described as part of a growing Israel‑UAE defense relationship built on mutual concern over Iran (Iron Dome batteries).
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; on May 13, 2026, Netanyahu's office publicly confirmed the trip and called it a "historic breakthrough" in relations.
- Later on May 13, 2026, the UAE’s official WAM news agency denied that any Netanyahu visit had occurred and denied that an Israeli military delegation was received, saying UAE‑Israel ties are conducted publicly under the Abraham Accords rather than via "non‑transparent or unofficial arrangements."
- PBS reported that remarks by Huckabee and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz suggest the Iron Dome disclosure was intentional and likely made with the blessing of both the Emirati and Israeli governments rather than being an offhand revelation (Mike Waltz).
- The disclosures and visit came amid the ongoing Israeli‑U.S. war with Iran, when a shaky ceasefire held, U.S.‑Iran negotiations were stalled, and the UAE continued to face Iranian missile and drone fire while seeking to reassure investors and residents.
- Kuwait said it detained four suspects in an alleged May 1, 2026, attempt by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to infiltrate Bubiyan Island — the site of the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port project — noting two suspects escaped and that Kuwait first announced the incident on May 3 but only linked it to Iran in a May 12 statement.
- Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, demanded Kuwait release the four detained Iranians, called the arrests an "illegal act" and warned Iran reserved the right to respond.
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
May 14, 2026
7:16 AM
UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war
New information:
- On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Netanyahu's office said he quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran and met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, calling it a "historic breakthrough" in relations.
- Later on May 13, 2026, the UAE’s official WAM news agency issued a statement denying that any Netanyahu visit had occurred and saying UAE-Israel relations are conducted publicly within the framework of the Abraham Accords, not via "non-transparent or unofficial arrangements."
- The WAM report also denied that any Israeli military delegation had been received in the UAE, even as prior U.S. statements said Israel sent Iron Dome systems and personnel.
- WAM recently reported that Netanyahu was among leaders who phoned MBZ to condemn Iranian attacks and express solidarity, a rare public acknowledgment of direct leader-level contact.
- Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, publicly demanded Kuwait release four detained Iranians accused by Kuwait of Revolutionary Guard ties and alleged infiltration of Bubiyan Island, calling the arrests an "illegal act" and warning Iran reserved the right to respond.
- Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, detained in April 2026, was released from prison more than a month later, with her release reported Wednesday, May 13, 2026, by the Human Rights Activists News Agency and her daughter.
May 13, 2026
5:52 PM
Netanyahu confirms secret visit to UAE
New information:
- On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Netanyahu's office publicly confirmed that he had made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates.
- CBS described the trip as having occurred "recently" but did not add new dates, locations within the UAE, or policy specifics beyond the confirmation itself.
5:13 PM
Netanyahu made secret visit to UAE to meet with country's president
New information:
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates 'recently' (before May 13, 2026) to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, sources told CBS News.
- Netanyahu's office subsequently acknowledged the trip and said in a formal statement that it 'resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.'
- The CBS report ties news of the secret visit to a Wall Street Journal report that the UAE carried out military strikes on Iran in April 2026, an action the UAE has not publicly acknowledged.
- CBS reiterates that Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense batteries and personnel to the UAE and that sources confirmed the Emiratis received the systems.
- A U.S. official told CBS that Netanyahu previously traveled to the UAE in 2018 to meet with Mohammed bin Zayed, predating the 2020 Abraham Accords.
May 12, 2026
6:58 PM
Kuwait says Iran attacked an island where China is helping to build a port
New information:
- On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Kuwait publicly accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of attempting to infiltrate Bubiyan Island on May 1, 2026, detaining four suspects and saying two escaped.
- Kuwait said the alleged Iranian team targeted Bubiyan Island, site of the under-construction Mubarak Al Kabeer Port being built with Chinese involvement as part of Beijing’s global infrastructure plans.
- Kuwait had initially announced an incident on May 3, 2026, without attributing it to Iran and only linked it to Iran in the May 12 statement, without explaining the delay.
- The article reiterates that Bubiyan Island was previously struck by Iran earlier in the current U.S.-Iran war and during the present shaky ceasefire.
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee’s disclosure that Israel deployed Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the UAE is framed alongside comments by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, who voiced similar points at an event at the Israeli mission.
- The report says Huckabee’s and Waltz’s remarks suggest the Iron Dome disclosure was intentional and likely made with the blessing of both the Emirati and Israeli governments, not an offhand revelation.
- The article notes that the UAE has continued to face Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire and is seeking to reassure investors and residents that it remains secure and open for business.
11:44 AM
Iran says it's ready to "teach a lesson" if U.S. launches new attacks
New information:
- CBS reports that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, speaking on stage at the Tel Aviv Conference on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, praised the United Arab Emirates as 'the first Abraham accord member' and said 'Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.'
- The article notes the UAE did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Huckabee's acknowledgment, but frames the deployment as underlining a growing Israel-UAE defense relationship built on mutual concern over Iran during the current war.
9:15 AM
U.S. ambassador to Israel says Israel sent Iron Dome batteries, personnel to UAE
New information:
- On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly stated in Tel Aviv that Israel sent Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and personnel to the United Arab Emirates during the Iran war.
- Huckabee made the remarks on stage at the Tel Aviv Conference, explicitly framing the deployment as an example of the benefits of the Abraham Accords for the UAE.
- The article reiterates that the deployment is occurring while a shaky Iran ceasefire holds, the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iranian control, and U.S.-Iran negotiations are stalled.